Not Alone
by Sleek Belle
Summary: Harry Potter loves Quidditch and... Ginny Weasley?! Harry pretends to be her boyfriend to keep her safe from a Slytherin prank. But is it pretend? A sixth year story with a real plot. H/G R/Hr M/C, Sirius, Hagrid.
1. Slither

**Chapter One**: SLITHER

**A/N**: -01/22/03--Completely updated chapters coming!  I have a beta reader now and she's going to catch all those little mistakes that just drive me crazy.  It so hard to get them all when you've edited a chapter for a twentieth time, I just go cross-eyed.  New stuff in this chapter, more Harry/Ginny dialog and more foreshadowing necessary for the later chapters.  Enjoy!  

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Harry savored the familiar nervous quiver in his stomach and the thrill of excitement that ran up his back.  

Quidditch.

He loved the wind in his face and the freedom of flying, and how it banished 'bad things'.  Harry Potter, although young, was not stranger to 'bad things'.  He believed there were few things he could do well, but he could fly--and fight dark wizards, but he didn't want to acknowledge that particular talent.  Nothing could touch him when he rode his broom; he reckoned he could out-distance his problems when he was up there.  Unable to prevent the broad grin that spread across his face, he looked at Ron beside him.  Ron was a bloody good Beater just like his twin brothers.  Ron returned his grin, excitement making his freckles stand out even more than usual.  Ron liked playing Slytherin—stomping them he called it—although not all the team shared his feelings.  Harry looked over his shoulder at the rest of his Gryffindor Quidditch team.

Ginny had a focused staring expression and determined set to her mouth.  It softened slightly when he caught her eye.  He winked at her.  That got her to smile and she flushed.  Niles and Hilary, the other two Gryffindor Chasers, flanked Ginny and were gazing out the door toward the stands.

Seamus, their Keeper, held his broom handle inches from his nose and stared cross-eyed at it as though giving the object a silent pep talk.  This was Seamus's unique way of concentrating before the match.

Harry's gaze went back to Ginny.  He frowned.  There was something wrong with her; he couldn't quite put his finger on it.  Her hands gripped her broom a little too tightly.  She looked… stiff, scared, not energized as she usually was about a match.  She glanced up then and found him staring at her.  She bit her lip, looked away, then shook her head and came up next to him.  

"Harry, I…" she began, licked her lips and wouldn't meet his eye.  "I need to tell you something."

Now he could tell she was nervous.  Harry felt an uneasy flutter in his stomach.  "You okay, Ginny?"

"I… I just think we need to keep a close eye on the Slytherin team.  I've been hearing things."  She shrugged but that casual gesture didn't fool Harry.  

"What exactly?"

"You know, just things.  Maybe more than the usual."  

Harry was hoping she'd elaborate but she didn't.  He laid a hand on her shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze.  "Just keep an eye out for Goyle and Crabbe.  Right?"  She nodded.  She didn't look comforted.  The Slytherin Beaters, Goyle and Crabbe, were two of the nastiest players Hogwarts had seen for decades.  In contrast to the muscle-bound Slytherin team that won by brute force and downright cheating, Harry prized agility and cunning in his team members.

"Listen up," Harry said, raising his voice so the entire team could hear him.  "The Slytherins are out for blood.  They want the Quidditch cup and we're the only team that stands in their way."  

Ron gripped his broom in one hand and the bat in the other.  "Ready to swat some Slytherins like flies, eh Neville?"  

"We'll kick their arses," said Neville Longbottom, the second Gryffindor Beater.  Once he had mastered flying, Longbottom had turned out to be a thumping good Beater.  Had an arm like a steel beam and could really wallop the Bludger.

"Alright?" Harry asked.  Everyone nodded; Ginny did after a slight hesitation.  "Let's go then."

They walked onto the field, the Slytherin team from the opposite side.  The cheers, boos and hisses were deafening.  Members of Gryffindor house waved red and gold banners.  Harry spotted Hermione and she waved; both he and Ron waved back.  Even Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were rooting for them although in a more subdued fashion.  Hufflepuff had already suffered an embarrassing defeat against Slytherin.  Their Keeper had been under Madam Pomfrey's care for almost a week.  Crabbe had hit the Ravenclaw Keeper with the bat; a foul was called but still Slytherin won.

"Gryffindor versus Slytherin!" Colin Creevey shouted enthusiastically.  This was his first year as the new Quidditch announcer now that Lee Jordan had left Hogwarts.

All the players stood in a circle in middle of the pitch, red and gold on one side, green and silver on the other.  The trunk was already there opened and waiting, the Bludgers bucking against their locks.  The Slytherin captain, a crafty seventh year named Ahab Gromer, leered at the Gryffindor team.  Harry watched him closely as his snake-cold gaze moved to Ginny.  He smirked and sent her a kiss.  Malfoy sniggered.  Ginny went white.  Harry could see her hands shake slightly.  What was going on?  None of the other team members seemed to have noticed the by-play.  

"Did you see that?" he nudged Ron with his elbow.

"Huh?" Ron said, blinking.  "What?"

"Ahab's eyeing Ginny."

"Maybe he fancies her."  Ron's gaze flickered to his younger sister, then he grunted.  "I'll beat him up later."

"It wasn't like that."  Harry shook his head.  "There's something going on."

"Yeah, it's called a Quidditch game.  Shh!  You're bloody ruining my concentration."

Harry gritted his teeth.  Ron could be really thick sometimes.

Madam Hooch walked out to the middle of the Quidditch pitch to the trunk.  Her broom was tucked under one arm, her whistle hanging around her neck.  She glared as if all of them had already committed innumerable heinous fouls, her odd colored odd-colored eyes narrowed and suspicious.  

"I want a clean game," she said and wagged her finger.  She seemed to be addressing Crabbe and Goyle, but her gaze encompassed both teams.  "Understand. Clean."  Not everyone nodded and she stared until they all did.  Harry and Ahab stepped forward and shook hands.  It wasn't a friendly shake.  He sneered at Harry.

"Scared, Potter," he hissed under his breath.

Harry just allowed himself a small smile.  "Of what?"

They stepped back and Madam Hooch walked between them.

"Very well, then," she said.  "On my whistle.  Three… two… one."  She blew her whistle and they all kicked off from the ground and soared above the pitch.

Seamus took up his position at the goal hoops and Harry, as usual, flew high above his teammates. From here he had a good view of the pitch, then below him he saw Ahab fly over to Crabbe and Goyle.  They were keeping their voices low while Ahab darted glances around him as if to make sure no on was listening.  When he flew off Crabbe and Goyle exchanging nasty smirks.  A heavy knot of foreboding settled in Harry's stomach.  This game was going to be anything but clean.  He could only hope his team members kept their wits about them.  Malfoy flew up near him, the ever-present sneer twisting his lips.  Harry gritted his teeth.

"Alright there, Potty?"

"Bugger off, Malfoy," Harry muttered.

"I'm warning you to forfeit now," he spat all friendly pretenses vanished.

"Can't stand the humiliation of not catching the snitch again?"  After fighting Voldemort, Harry found Malfoy's pathetic bullying hardly threatening.

Malfoy's eyes shone with unfettered malice.  "Better be prepared to scrape up your team-mates, especially that little Weasley gonk."

Harry's eye narrowed and anger swelled in his chest.  "Don't even think about laying a hand on Ginny," he ground out.  Ginny was their best Chaser.  Nimble and clever, she possessed almost a sixth sense allowing her to guess the moves of the opposing team members.  It was like she knew what they were going to do before they did.  She could be a brilliant Seeker, and Harry figured she would take his place when he left Hogwarts.  

An evil grin lifted the corners of Malfoy's lips.  "Don't want your ickle girlfriend damaged?"

Harry flew his broom closer, fury clouding his vision.  "That's right," he said between clenched teeth.  "Touch her and you're dead."  His scar suddenly ached and he unconsciously began to rub it.  "Do you understand?"  His became low and hoarse.

Malfoy's sneer faded and something like fear flickered in his cold, pale eyes, but then Madam Hooch released the Quaffle and the game was on.


	2. Tough Victory

**NOT ALONE**

**Chapter Two: Tough Victory**.

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Below Harry a mad scuffle for the Quaffle was taking place.  He watched, but kept an eye out for a flash of gold.  Ginny, as usual, stayed out of the pushing  and shoving, waiting instead for one of the other Chasers to throw her the ball and then she'd zip off with it and score.

"And Natalie of Gryffindor has the ball!" shouted Lee.  

Natalie dived away from the general fray and took off toward the Slytherin goal.  Ginny, Harry noted, was right where she should be and easily caught the Quaffle that Natalie tossed to her.  Ginny leaned over her Firebolt and sped off.

"Look at Ginny go!" Lee Jordan was jumping up and down.

The fans in the Gryffindor stands were cheering "Go Ginny!  Go Ginny!"

The Slytherin Chasers closed in on Ginny and she passed the Quaffle to Niles as she dodged a Bludger that Goyle thumped her way.  Ron whacked the Bludger on the rebound and nearly knocked Crabbe from his broom.  Niles, followed closely by the Slytherin Chasers, did a sudden halt and one-eighty degree spin.  The Slytherin Chasers went screaming past him and before they could recover. Niles tossed the Quaffle into Ginny's capable hands and she sped to the Slytherin goals hoops, threw a feint at the left hoop, pulling back at the last moment and threw the Quaffle through the right hoop.

"Gryffindor scores!" shouted Lee Jordan.  "Ten points for Gryffindor!"

It was a promising beginning to the game, but from there, everything that could go wrong, did.  Seamus was so busy dodging Bludgers that Neville had to take up residence in front of the hoops just to help him fight off the Slytherins unrelenting attack.  Two goals were thwarted but five others made it in.

Gryffindor 10, Slytherin 50.  Harry still hadn't spotted the Snitch.  At least neither had Malfoy.  Restlessly he rode back and forth over the pitch looking for a little golden glimmer.  Then a groan rose from the crowd.  Goyle smacked a Bludger close to Neville's face and he took the Bludger full force in the temple and tumbled from his broom like a rag doll.  

"FOUL!" yelled Lee.  "Did you see that?  Dirty Quidditch!"

Madam Hooch blew her whistle.  "Foul Slytherin.  Bludger Backbeating!"

Fortunately, Madam Hooch using a slowing spell to make certain Neville's landing, some thirty feet down, was a soft one.  Harry saw Ahab fly to Crabbe and Goyle and say something to him.  Harry would have given just about anything to hear that conversation. 

The game went on with the Gryffindor team short one Beater.  After that, Ron was doing his best to be in several places at once.  His reaction time was getting slower, his flying sloppy—poor Ron was exhausted.

Twenty-five minutes into the game, Harry watched helplessly as the Slytherin Chasers flanked Hilary who had the Quaffle.  That batted her back and forth between them like a ball, then one moved suddenly and the next hit sent her into the Ravenclaw stand tower.  The Quaffle fell from her arms, one of the Slytherin Chasers grabbed it, Crabbe hit a Bludger toward Seamus, who dodged and couldn't prevent Slytherin from scoring.  Hilary fell to the ground, tried to get up then crumpled back down.  

The boos out numbered the cheers.

Slytherin had scored again, 10 to 60 and Gryffindor was down two players.  It was war and now the attack centered on the Gryffindor Chasers, specifically Ginny.  Her flying was flawless, awesome as she completely frustrated Goyle and Crabbe's attempts to knock her from her broom.  Instead they hit one of their own Chasers.  Ginny grabbed the dropped Quaffle and scored.  Harry felt a swell of pride.  He had convinced Ginny to try out for the team

"Gryffindor scores!" Lee said.  "20 to 60, Slytherin leads."

Ron was sweating through his robes, his red hair plastered to his face keeping the Slytherins from obliterating the Gryffindor Chasers.

Madam Hooch called three more fouls against Slytherin, but they made three more goals.  A Bludger almost took Seamus out.  It smacked him in the right side of his chest and swept him from his broom.  He managed to grab a hold of a goal hoop and call back his broom, but not before the Slytherin team took advantage of this and scored a yet another goal.  Crabbe and Goyle's deadly aim kept the Ginny and Niles busy dodging the Bludger instead of trying to reacquire the Quaffle and score.

Gryffindor 20, Slytherin 100.

Ginny assisted a score from Neville, but the Slytherins rallied with two more.  The second one hit Seamus in the head before bouncing through the goal hoop.

Gryffindor was without a Keeper and the score was now 30 to 120.

This was the dirtiest game of Quidditch Harry had seen at Hogwarts.  Madam Hooch's whistle was going off constantly until she called for a time out and stalked toward the players like an angry Hippogriff.

"I better not see one more foul, do you hear Mr. Crabbe and Mr. Goyle!"  She glared at the Slytherin team.  "And that goes for the rest of you.  This is a game, not a death match."

She blew her whistle again and they all kicked off from the ground.

"Madam Hooch only said she better not _see_ another foul, do you understand?  Don't let her _see_!" Ahab said to Crabbe and Goyle.  They smirked and nodded.  "Good job so far, you two."  Harry managed to fly close enough to hear them.  "And stay on Potter," he spat at Malfoy.  "If you can't catch the bloody Snitch yourself, make certain he doesn't."

After that, Malfoy became more annoying than usual, if that were possible.  Harry was ready to take a foul just to get relief from that nasty git, but he couldn't do that to his team.  Malfoy was a Seeker of average talent but above average viciousness, relying instead on using the opposing teams Seeker to assist him and help him find the Snitch.  Once the other Seeker located the Snitch, he usually found a way to foul the other Seeker and grab the snitch for himself.  Harry found him merely irritated; the other Seekers loathed him.  Malfoy was popular only with himself, his girlfriend Cho Chang (a sore spot with Harry that Malfoy liked to constantly irritate) and the Slytherins.

Over the next twenty minutes, Slytherin team managed four more goals easy seeing that Seamus was gone.  

It was then Harry spotted a golden flash from the corner of his eye.  _Just give me a few minutes_, he said to himself.  _Just a few minutes.  Don't let Malfoy see it_. 

The crowd shouted as a Bludger hit from Ron spun Crabbe out of control.  The Bludger ricocheted off and smacked into a Slytherin Chaser, knocking the Quaffle from their grip.  Ginny caught it, tucked in under her arm and was off before the Slytherin team could understand what had happened.  

"Gryffindor scores!" cried Lee.

And that was what Harry was waiting for-- time to get the Snitch.  Instead of flying toward it, he spun away from it and dove.  Harry glanced behind him and found Malfoy right where he should be.  Grinning to himself, Harry went into a steep dive, knowing Malfoy would be on his tail.  Tears from the wind streamed out of the corner of his eyes, he laughed out of pure joy.  Harry was in his element.  Fifty feet from the ground.  Forty.  Instead of slowing up, he asked for more speed from his Firebolt and it responded.  

The crowd went wild.

"Look at Harry Potter fly!" shouted Lee.  "Is he going to do what I think he's going to do?"

Twenty feet from the ground and at full speed Malfoy was still with him.  Harry pulled up, the Firebolt responding to the lightest touch, almost as if it understood his thought.  Malfoy had no such luck, a victim of a perfectly executed Wronski Defensive Feint.  Malfoy's broom struck the ground, half of the broomstick buried.  The broom had stopped instantly but Malfoy didn't and he somersaulted end over end until he came to prone, spread eagle position.

Harry pulled up his broom, turned a one-eighty degree spin and neatly captured the Snitch that had been right behind Malfoy's head through the entire dive.  Harry flew over to Malfoy who was groaning, and hovered above him while tossing the snitch up and down in the palm of his hand.  

"How did you like meeting Wronski, Malfoy?" Harry asked in a mild tone, he then mock-saluted the dazed Slytherin Seeker and flew off to join his team.

The Gryffindor stands erupted in one tremendous chanting cheer.  "Well done Gryffindor!  Well done Gryffindor!"

"Harry Potter's caught the Snitch!" Lee shouted.  "Gryffindor wins!  One-eighty to one-sixty."

The joyous cheers melted instantly into horrified cries.  A Bludger appeared from out of nowhere and slammed into Ginny Weasley's ribcage and completely swept her off her broom.  As if in slow motion, Harry saw her tumble toward the ground some fifty feet below.  He didn't have his wand.  No one else could help, Madam Hooch noticed too late and began running toward Ginny.  Harry dropped the Snitch and leaned down low on his Firebolt and asked it for all the speed it could muster.  

_Get under her_, he told himself.  _Get under her_.  

Ten feet from the ground he let go of his broom, steered it through minute movements of his body, fine tuned his position and caught her in his arms.  Although she was light, her momentum knocked him from his broom and together they fell the remaining distance.  Harry positioned himself to hit the ground first, Ginny on top.  The grass was soft and cushioned his fall somewhat, still it knocked the breath out of him and he lay gasping , the unconscious Ginny lying on top of him.  He clutched her tightly.

The first thing his bleary vision saw was Ron's scared white face peering down at him.

"Bloody hell, Harry, that was brilliant."  He peered closer at his unconscious sister.  "Is she okay?"

*   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *

How you liking my first Harry Potter fic so far?  There's more to come!  I have a lot of time over Christmas break.


	3. Hope Has a Place

NOT ALONE 

By Sleek Belle

**Chapter Three: Hope Has a Place**

**Author's Note: **Wow, chapter 3.  More to come!  Sorry for all the mistakes, I try to catch them all.  I think I need a good beta reader.  

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"Off with you all, this is a hospital wing, not a meeting hall," Madam Pomfrey said and shooed at the Gryffindor Quidditch team gathered around Ginny Weasley's bed.  All the others filed out but Ron, Hermione and Harry remained.

"I'd like to stay if I can, at least until she wakes up," Harry spoke up, anger made his voice clipped.  "This is my fault."

"Really, Harry, that's ridiculous," Hermione said, tutting under her breath.  "How could you possibly be responsible for an out-of-control Bludger?"

"Yeah, it's just rotten luck.  Ginny knows the dangers.  She'll be her old self when she wakes up.  Come on."  Ron pulled at his arm.  "When she's awake you'll call us, right?"  This he said to Madam Pomfrey who nodded.

"That's right," her voice gentle.  "I'll make certain you all know.  Mending bones is painful and she'll need time and quiet."  She bustled away to clean up the area where she had tended and then released Seamus and Natalie.  They had sustained only minor injuries.

"I'm staying," Harry repeated as if he hadn't heard anything Ron, Hermione or Madam Pomfrey had said.  "It's better if I stay, because if you make me leave I'm going to find Crabbe and Goyle, curse off their heads off and shove them up their—"

"Harry!" Hermione interrupted, her eyebrows rising into her hairline.

"Can I help?"  Ron sniggered but then sobered.  "Do you think one of them did it on purpose?"

"I don't think, I know."  He told them about what he overheard and what Malfoy had said.  "And you know, Ginny was unusually nervous before the game.  She knew something, maybe she knew they were going after her."

Ron's eyebrows came together.  "I did spend an usual amount of time whacking the Bludgers away from her."

Hermione rolled her eyes.  "Well, I didn't see anything and I watched the whole match.  You two are just making this up to start a fight."

"We don't have to make anything up to start a fight with Slytherin.  Right, Harry?"  Ron's face squeezed into an angry mask.  He began to roll up the sleeves of his Quidditch uniform.  "You can stay here, Harry, I'll finish 'em off for you."

Hermione laid a hand on his arm.  "No.  You're.  Not.  Not until we find out the truth.  We really don't know if it was intentional and fighting will just get you detention."

"It'd be worth it."  Ron looked crestfallen.  "She ruins all the fun."

Hermione pursed her lips.  "All you need to do is get near one of them and your body odor will kill them."

"Are you telling me I stink?"  He sniffed an armpit and grimaced.  "Bloody hell, I smell like a race horse."

"Ridden hard and put away wet," Hermione finished.  She grabbed his arm.  "Shower and lots of soap for you.  Maybe it'll cool your temper.  

"Alright.  Will you scrub my back then?" Ron asked hopefully.

Hermione cocked an eyebrow at him.  "You wish."  Then to Harry.  "Talk later, Harry," she said as she pulled Ron out of the room.  "And you don't smell like a rose garden either."

Harry chuckled.  He believed her, unlike Ron, and wasn't about to take a whiff.  Those two always made him smile.  He sobered when the door closed and looked at Ginny Weasley lying silently on the bed, her skin almost as white as the sheets.  Her eyelashes made a brown-red fringe against her pale cheeks.  Anger squeezed his stomach and he unconsciously clenched his hands.  That Bludger was no accident, he was certain of it.  There was no way he could prove it.  His anger, having no where to go, just raged around inside him until the half-full glass of water on Ginny's bed table fell to the floor.

"Damn," Harry muttered and put the empty glass back on the table.  He didn't have his wand with him so he went to look for something to mop up the water.  There was a towel hanging over one of the chairs.  He went down on his hands and knees, his Quidditch cape pooled around him, and began wiping up the water.

"Harry Potter, what _are_ you doing?" a weak but inquisitive voice ask.

"Ginny!" he tried to get up and instead bumped his head on the night table, knocking over the glass again.  "Ouch!"  At least this time it was empty.  He rubbed the back of his head and sat back on his knees, eye to eye with Ginny Weasley.

"How are you?"

"My side really hurts."  Then her eyes grew wide.  "We won, didn't we, Harry?  Tell me we won."

"Spoken like a true Quidditch play, Gin," he said, stood and sat the bed next to her.  He patted her arm.  "We won."

She put her hand over his, and instead of pulling away, he left his hand on her arm as she settled back on the bed with a groan.  "Good."  Anger crossed her face.  "Good!  Serves Slytherin right, those cheating gits," she said more forcefully, then frowned.  "I don't remember what happened after that."

"You took a Bludger in the side.  Broke two ribs and cracked another.  Scared us all."

"I fell?"  She squeezed his hand.

"Almost fifty-feet.  I caught you.  Madam Hooch was too far away to do anything, and she didn't notice in time."

"Always there to rescue me, are you?" Her smile was forced.

He leaned down.  Nothing was going to happen to Ginny Weasley ever if he could help it.  "Count on it."  And Harry realized he really meant it.

For the first time, he found himself looking at her, really looking since he last saw her as a ten-year old.  She had just been Ginny for so long, red hair, a little scrawny, nothing other than his best friend's little sister, and a little annoying at times, but six years had past and she wasn't so little.  She didn't have all the freckles that Ron did, her skin smooth and it looked soft.  Was it?  He wanted to find out.  He raised a hand.

"Harry," she was saying.  "Harry!"

Harry shook his head and blinked.  What had he been doing?  Mooning over Ginny Weasley?  "Just a bit of wool gathering," he said, forcing a mild tone into his voice.  He cleared his throat to hide his confusion and inwardly wondered at the odd feeling in the pit of his stomach.  "Ginny," he took her hand in both of his.  "Do you remember anything before you were hit by the Bludger.  Do you remember anything that… Goyle and Crabbe might have been doing?"

"I…."  She blinked, opened her mouth again, then with that stubborn set to her mouth she shook her head.  "No, I don't."

Harry wasn't entirely convinced.  "Are you certain?"

Her mouth took on a more mutinous set.  "Yes," she mumbled.

Harry sighed.  He could tell she was hiding something.  Maybe a little Vertiserum in her drink… NO!  Harry halted that train of thought.  Still… "I don't think that Bludger hit was an accident."

Her mouth opened and closed several times then she pressed her lips together.  "That's silly.  Of course it was."  

Harry knew she was lying and sat back wondering what he could do to get her to trust him and tell him the truth.  He realize then that he was sitting on his Quidditch cloak and it was uncomfortable—pulling down at his shoulders.  He sat up a moment and moved it out of his way.  Ginny scrunched up her nose and clapped a hand over her nose and mouth.

"Oh!  Harry," Ginny mumbled through her hand.

"Yes, Gin."  Maybe after all she was going to tell him something that could prove the Bludger hit wasn't an accident.  He waited expectantly and leaned closer to her.  "What?"

She scrunched up her nose.  "You smell awful."

Surprised at her answer, he then smiled and chuckled.  

"Uh-umm!" Someone cleared her voice.

Ginny's and Harry's heads swiveled toward the door where Madam Pomfrey had just appeared.  She seemed interested in the little scene taking place in her hospital wing.

Flushing, Harry pulled his hand away from Ginny and realized suddenly how they must look, with him perched on her bed leaning over her protectively.  But really, wasn't that exactly what he _was _doing?  He stood and straightened his Quidditch robes.  Ginny, her face as red as her hair, pulled the covers up around her chin.

Madam Pomfrey bustled over and peered down at Ginny.  "Well good then, you're awake.  I'd like to give you a light sleeping draught and keep you for the rest of the day and evening."  She blinked at Harry.  "And you, Mr. Potter, must leave now, you can fuss over Ginny later.  Besides, dinner will be served soon.  I'm certain you're hungry after that Quidditch match."

"Bye," Ginny mouthed silently.  He felt her gaze on him all the way to the door.  

At the door, Harry looked back.  Ginny's attention was now focused on Madam Pomfrey.  Seeing her on the hospital bed once again churned up a wave of anger.  The leather Quidditch gauntlets on his hands squeaked as he tightened his fists.  Anger flashing in his eyes, he decided then that dinner sounded like a great idea, but it wasn't the food that interested him.  Without realizing what he was doing, he strode down the hall pounding one fist into the palm of the other hand, his Quidditch robes streaming out behind him, his boot steps hard against the stone flagging floors.  

The only light in the hospital wing was that near Ginny Weasley's bed, the remainder of the room falling into darkness as the sun set.  She dutifully drank down the sleeping draught as Madam Pomfrey directed, not that she had a choice.  It didn't taste very good (what healing potion did?) but the comforting warmth spreading through her, soothed the pain and made her feel warm and comfy.

"Very good, dear.  Now you sleep and you'll be better in the morning."  Madam Pomfrey patted her arm and left.

The last image that floated across Ginny's mind before a deep sleep consumed her was Harry Potter sitting next to her, his warm hands over hers, his face close, concern in his extraordinary green eyes.  Concern for her: Ginny Weasley.  "Maybe there is hope."


	4. Civil Disobedience

NOT ALONE 

By Sleek Belle

**Chapter 4**: Civil Disobedience (updated 11:00pm PST)

To sooth his irritation with Hermione, Ron slouched down into his seat at the Gryffindor table and focused all his attention on a pile of spiced chicken legs that appeared in the serving dish in front of him.  He ripped the chicken flesh from the bone and barely chewed before swallowing and pacified himself with happy thoughts of his fist connecting with any of several faces from Slytherin House.

"Ron, slow down, you're going to make yourself sick," Hermione scolded lightly.  

Ron grunted.  His irritation renewed.  One, Hermione refused come with him to the showers and scrub his back, especially since she was a prefect and had access to a good bath.  Two, when he had entered the dining hall she clung to his arm to keep him away from the Slytherin table.  Malfoy had held up one hand, thumb and forefinger extended to make an "L". 

"Loser!" Malfoy mouthed silently.  Crabbe and Goyle sniggered.  It didn't seem to occur to them that Slytherin was the one who lost the Quidditch match.

Hermione, on purpose, picked a spot at the Gryffindor table so their backs would be toward Slytherin.  Ron grunted again.  Bloody no fun Hermione was.

"Quit sulking, it's very unattractive," she said and daintily selected food from the bowls and placed them in her plate. 

"It's not."  Ron rather liked sulking, at least at the moment.  She prevented what could have been a good fight and was now trying to ruin a perfectly good sulk.  

"It is," Hermione insisted.

"Not."

"Is!"  She glared at Ron.

"This is a stupid argument," he said over a mouthful of food.

"We're not_ arguing, _we're just contradicting each other."

"No.

"Yes!"  Hermione threw her arms up.  "You have no proof that Slytherin tried to hurt Ginny."

"I believe Harry when he tells me something like that.  He wouldn't go making it up now, would he?  And since when did you start believing the Slytherins over us?"

Hermione got that superior expression on her face.  "I won't honor that ridiculous statement with an answer.  You can be so thick sometimes, Ron Weasley."

Ron piled a huge helping of meat pie on his plate.  Women!  He looked up from his plate of food to take a breath and noted Harry still wasn't around.  He shouldn't be beating himself up over Ginny's injury.  Ron felt bad for his sister, but these things happened during a Quidditch game and anyone who played understood the danger.  And she had the best of care.  Madam Pomfrey wouldn't let anything happen to her.  He heard the dinning room door thump open, but didn't bother to look up and he shoved a large spoonful of meat pie in his mouth.  Quidditch always made him wicked hungry.  It was then he noticed that all the Gryffindor students at the table had stopped eating.  Seamus had an odd expectant smile on his face.  He and everyone else seemed to be staring toward the door.  Hermione, too.  

Nearly Headless Nick's head popped up through the boiled potatoes, startling Ron.  "I do say!  Harry Potter is looking very angry."  He floated up and away.

Ron wrinkled his eyebrows, then looked up.  Angry was an understatement.

"What the—?!"  His mouth dropped open.  "Whoa."

Harry hadn't bothered to change from his Quidditch uniform, but that wasn't what surprised Ron.  He had never seen Harry this angry.  Ever.  His fists were clenched, eyebrows a dark slash over his eyes, a dark expression in his eyes.

"Oh, no, this cannot be good," whispered Hermione.  She turned to Ron.  "Don't even think about it."

Ron ignored her, quickly chewed and swallowed his food.  "Cool."  He stood up as Harry stopped briefly at the table.  "Alright there, Harry? Ready for a bit of head thumping?"

Harry nodded.  "That's about it."  And the slight grin that tugged at his mouth wasn't pleasant.  He kept going toward the Slytherin table.  Ron hesitated only a moment and followed, as did Seamus and Neville.

Hermione grabbed Ron's arm and tried to pull him back to the table.  "You'll get expelled."

"Hermione," he said, "sometimes there's just things a guy's gotta do."

Hermione plunked back down on the bench.  "What an idiot."

The three boys joined Harry standing by the Slytherin table.

"So how's your Weasley girlfriend, Potter?  She doesn't catch a Bludger well, does she?"

"That Bludger was no accident," Harry said.  "Ginny won't say anything but I know she hiding something to protect someone."

Crabbe, Goyle and Malfoy smirked.  "Now why would she do that?" Goyle said with a too-innocent look on his fat face.

Ron didn't hear that last bit, having instead focused on one particular word.  "Girlfriend?  Ginny?  Harry?" he said aloud to no one in particular.  Seamus shrugged.  What seemed odd to Ron was that Harry hadn't bothered to deny it.  Most of the time, Harry seemed to merely humor the younger girl's idolizing.

"The way I see it," Malfoy leaned back in his chair, the usual superior expression on his cold face, "you should thank me Potter, after all, I gave you yet another opportunity to be the big hero.  It's the only way you're going to get a girl.  Pity, eh?"  He flicked a chicken bone at Harry's chest and it bounced off and fell to the floor.

For a moment the entire hall was silent, as if everyone held their breaths.  Only the professors eating at the head table seemed oblivious, except for Sirius, the DADA teacher, he had a keen eye on Harry.  But Harry had always been the one to turn the other cheek.  Ron had been in a few fistfights, but that had never been Harry's thing.

Harry suddenly stepped close to Malfoy and kicked his chair out from under him.  Malfoy went flying back, thunked against the floor and was up just as fast as if spring-loaded.

"That was a mistake!" he hissed and launched himself at Harry.

It was Slytherin Vs. Gryffindor again, but this time it wasn't a Quidditch match.

They rolled and punched; first Harry had the upper hand, then Malfoy.  Crabbe and Goyle piled on top.  Ron and Seamus followed.  Ron felt a knee on the side of his head, or it could have been a punch; he wasn't sure which in the mass of bodies.  What surprised Ron the most was that Harry was a corking good fighter, maybe from all that thumping he'd endured from Dudley for all those years.  Whatever it was, he was getting some good punches in.  Malfoy was going to have a shiner in the morning.

During the tussle, a table overturned.  A bowl of mashed potatoes got launched onto the Ravenclaw table, spattering a half dozen Ravenclaw student.  Indignant, one third year boy stood and began chucking chicken legs as fast as he could.  One chicken leg accidentally pinged off the head of a Hufflepuff student.  

"Hey!" the Hufflepuff student said and returned fire with a plate of bangers.  Some students had their wands with them and magicked food into the air, most were contented to hurl whatever they could get their hands on.

Ron didn't realize what was happening around him until a magicked bowl of meatpie, launched from the Hufflepuff table, turned upside down and landed down on his head.  It looked like a gangly, too big hat.  Meat pie dribbled down into his eyes.  He licked at a juicy piece of meat oozing over his nose.  The Slytherin student he was about to punch started snickering, then laughing.  Ron smiled, lowered his fist, and soon he gave in to laughter.  It was right difficult to punch someone when they were laughing.  

Ron found Harry and Malfoy much more interested in throwing food at each other than throwing punches.  Malfoy was in commando mode, using a big fork to launch bangers dipped in mash.  Harry held a big plate in one hand and a long, cupped serving spoon in another that he used to launch bread rolls.  He had a metal tureen over his head, the handle under his chin.  He looked like a knight with a sword and shield.  Peeves, having heard the commotion, couldn't resist a food fight and he dove down scooping up food from the table and cackling with glee.

"**THAT'S ENOUGH**!" Albus Dumbledore's voice roared over the dining hall.

Peeves dropped the food and disappeared quickly before someone blamed him for the whole thing.  Filch was standing in the doorway looking as though a dung beetle had crawled up his nose.  Even Mrs. Norris had a disgusted look on her whiskered face. 

And suddenly everything in the air just stopped, then gently settled back to where it had originated.  The students, who seemed to have forgotten the professors up at the head table, stopped instantly.  Not a word.  Not a giggle.  Not a sound was to be heard.

Hermione crawled out from under the table and surveyed the disaster.  Food everywhere.  Even the ghosts looked horrified, except the Bloody Baron who seemed to delight in the chaos.

"This is bad," Hermione whispered.  "This is worse than expelled."  And to Hermione there were very few things that were worse than being expelled.

_+_+_+_+_+_+_+

**Author's note**:  I couldn't help the food fight.  Just look at all those kids crammed into that dining hall!  You know that it's got to happen at one point.  I've started quite a few cafeteria food fights.  The only sad note is you know that Fred and George would have loved to be there.  It's their type of thing.  J  


	5. Setting Up Harry

NOT ALONE 

By Sleek Belle

Chapter 5: Aftermath

**Author's Note**:  A BIG BIG thanks for all my reviewers so far: Loudres, Infinite Moment, Shahrezad1, Noqui, sabacat, Roxy, Domino84, Female Fred (and you're right, after I wrote Lee Jordan announcing, I realized that he was in George and Fred's year and I should change that, good call), and of course, nimacu.  Thanks thanks and uber thanks!  I know this story may appear cutesy so far, but it's just the lull before the storm.  Dark things are afoot.

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From across opposite ends of the hospital wing, the Slytherin and Gryffindor boys eyed each other.  Only Madam Pomfrey's occasional piercing glances kept them apart.  She would abide by no silliness in her hospital, especially with her patient Ginny Weasley sleeping.  Harry knew even Malfoy wouldn't push his luck.

Harry was amazed the commotion hadn't woken Ginny up, but she slept on, oblivious that one of the biggest brawls in Hogwarts history was because of her.  It was better that Ginny was out, he supposed, it wouldn't do her good to see them all bloody.  If Ron noticed Harry glancing toward Ginny, he didn't say anything, or at least he was too preoccupied.  He held a rag to his bleeding, swollen nose.  One of Seamus's eyes was nearly swollen shut.  Harry had a cut on his head that looked worse than it was, mostly it just bled in his face.  Neville was okay and had gone back to the Gryffindor tower.  

Harry rubbed his scar.  It had been bothering him since leaving Ginny earlier in the evening.  Maybe the anger was giving him a headache.

"Bugger me!" Ron exclaimed in a hush nasally tone, "that was some of the best fun I've ever had at Hogwarts."

"I liked that elbow to Crabbe's ugly face, Harry," Seamus said.  "Good one."

"He always had a face like the back end of a bus.  I think you improve it."  Ron snigger and nodded toward Crabbe who had a big fat lip.  "He looks like one of those African tribal guys who put plates in their lips.  You didn't tell me you could fight."

"Didn't have any real reason to until now."  Harry pressed a rag to the cut on his forehead; he also had a nice shining bruise on his cheek.  His scar bothered him more but he resisted rubbing it again.

Madam Pomfrey bustled over and peered at Ron's nose, Seamus's black eye and then at the cut on Harry's head.  She tisked and shook her head.  "You have a broken nose, Mr. Weasley."

"Cool," he said through the bloody rag.  "My first broken nose and in a fight with Slytherin.  George and Fred will be jealous."

Madam Pomfrey raised her eyebrows at him.  "It won't take much to heal and I'll deal with it when I check the other boys.  The two of you, Mr. Potter and Mr. Finnigan, can go now if you want.  None of your wounds is life threatening and I'm leaving them with you to remind you of your idiocy."

Madam Pomfrey hurried away toward the Slytherin group mumbling under her breath about silly boys and fighting.

"I thought it was a corking good fight," Ron said, frowning toward Madam Pomfrey's back.

The door opened and a cold draft rustled Harry's Quidditch cloak.  He looked up and sucked in a quick breath.  Sirius Black had just entered the room along with Snape who to Harry looked like someone had pissed in his butterbeer.  Seamus turned white and starting looking around as if for an escape route.  Ron squinted with his one good eye.

"This can't be good," Harry said and wished he could disapparate.

"Sirius looks ready to give us a good rollicking," Ron said, unconcerned.  "I get 'em from mum all the time.  Just remember, Harry, he sees it as his duty now that he's your guardian.  Don't take it personally."

Sirius stopped at the bed where the boys sat and stared down at them, a muscle twitched in the corner of his mouth, his eyes unreadable.  Harry had never made Sirius angry before.  This last summer he hadn't gone back to the Dursleys and instead stayed with Sirius in a rented cottage in Hogsmeade.  It had been a glorious summer; it was nice being wanted and not made to feel like a burden, and he'd been able to do his homework, practice his spells and best of all, practice flying.  Harry suddenly got a horrifying idea.  Would Sirius send him back to the Dursleys?  He wouldn't do that, would he?  At his first words, Harry's heart fell.

"**I'm disappointed Harry**…," Sirius began sternly, but there was an odd note in his voice, then lowered his voice and whispered, "that Prongs, Moony and I didn't think of something similar.  Brilliant food fight."  He crossed his arms and continued.  "**I don't know what to think of this**," he dropped his voice again, "but I think we should work a bit on that left hook of yours."  Louder: "**All three of you should be ashamed**…"  Lower: "…that you didn't take better advantage of the situation and really squash Slytherin."

The three boys were trying to keep from grinning and hung their heads in an appropriate chastised manner.

"**Professor McGonagall is not pleased**," he said aloud, "**and I can't blame her**."  Lower: "I reminded her you didn't throw the first punch."  A mischievous smile tugged at his mouth but Harry noted Sirius smothered it.  "**For the next week you will take detention with me**.  **And I hope you will reflect on your behavior**."  Lower: "And next time don't get caught."

Harry had to cough into his hand to keep from cheering.  Detention with Sirius was not detention at all.  The look on his face was stern, but his dark eyes twinkled.  He gave them a wink before he swept out of the room.

Ron gaped for a moment.  "That man is cool.  Can I come live with you and Sirius during the summer holidays?" Ron asked.

*          *          *          *

There were a lot of Howlers at breakfast that next Sunday morning.  One for Ron.  And Seamus.  And Crabbe.  And Goyle.  Even Malfoy.  The hall was filled with the shriek of indignant mothers.  Ron was looking rather put out until Malfoy's howler came by a familiar eagle owl.  Malfoy stared at the Howler in his lap like the bird had crapped on him.  He picked the letter up by thumb and forefinger, his mouth opening and closing, then it jerked away from him and unwrapped itself.

"Draco Malfoy!" Narcissa Malfoy's voice shrilled.  "I tolerate a lot from you, boy, but I could hardly believe my ears when I've heard what you've done.  How dare you!  A food fight!  Malfoys do NOT participate in food fights!  Shame on you!  The Witch's Country Club might take me off their VIP list if they hear of this!  Until the time I feel you're properly repentant for what you've done you'll receive no more packages from home."  With that the letter harrumphed indignantly and ripped itself to tiny pieces that showered over Malfoy's head.  

"Ahhhhhh!  Poor ickle Draco's mummy cut his sweets off.  How horrible! Boo-hoo!" Ron said loudly.  From that point on, Ron and Harry were laughing too hard to finish their breakfast.  Malfoy looked ready to start the fight all over again, but today the Professors up at the head table were particularly vigilant.

"Really!" Hermione exclaimed when she asked Ron three times to go to the hospital wing with her and received no reply.  He was laughing too hard for anything coherent to come out.  "Sometimes you two manage to act younger than your shoe size."  

Hermione found Ginny Weasley eating breakfast in the hospital bed while reading a book.  She smiled when she spied Hermione, but there was a flash of disappointment in her eyes.  Hermione noted it but said nothing and sat on the edge of the bed.

"How are you feeling?"

Ginny nodded.  "Better.  My side hurts a bit but Madam Pomfrey said I could leave after breakfast."  She looked down at her plate and pushed around the scrambled eggs for a moment.  "Where is… uh… Ron and …. Harry."

_Harry_, Hermione thought, _being the key word.  Harry just as thick as Ron sometimes_.  "Harry will be up in a bit to see how you're doing, I'm sure, after he and Ron stop acting like mental midgets, if that's possible," Hermione said, "but until then, I'll keep you company."

"Uh, Madam Pomfrey said something about a fight and that Ron and… uh… Harry were involved with uh… Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle.  She said they were up here last night.  I didn't hear a thing."

"Oh that."  Hermione kept her voice offhand.  She patted the younger girl's knee and felt better than she had all morning.  Harry was going to squirm over this one.  "I'm certain Harry will explain everything.  Better from him than me, I was under the table busy dodging food."

"Food!" Ginny echoed.  

"Food fight," she said.  "Here they are now."

The door opened and Ron and Harry, still snickering, entered.  They stopped at the foot of the bed.  Harry noted the odd pleased look on Hermione's face and the surprised look on Ginny's.  He elbowed Ron.

"What!" Ron said, then realized something was up and snapped his mouth shut.  "What'd we do now?"

Hermione rose off the bed.  "Nothing.  Why don't you come for a walk with me, it's such a nice day."

Ron blinked and stared out the window.  "Huh?  Hermione, you're mental!  I don't know if you've looked out the window today, but it looks ready to r—"

Whatever he'd been about to say was abruptly cut off when Hermione stood on her tiptoes and gently kissed Ron on the lips.  She batted her eyelashes at him (she'd never batted her eyelashes before) and the effect, she thought, was very much like a Confundus Charm.  Perhaps she should do it more often.  "Why don't you come for a walk with me Ron Weasley and for once stop arguing."  He opened his mouth and she placed a finger against his lips.  "No arguing."

It took Ron a moment to remember how to speak.  "Yeah… yeah, I'm coming, definitely," he managed, barely.  Hermione linked her arm in his and they toward the door leaving Harry and Ginny alone.


	6. Blind Heart

NOT ALONE 

By Sleek Belle

**Author's Note**:  Once again, thanks a super lot to everyone who reviewed.  It's you that keeps me going.  Knowing that you're read makes me a faster writer.  ;)   I've given a lot of thought to this chapter, and once I figured out how it needed to go, it basically wrote itself.  This is my favorite chapter so far.  Hope you enjoy!  J  Oh, and I've like updated this about four times tonight (New Years Eve/Early New Years Day).  Hope everyone had a great New Years.  I had a nice quiet time with the computer.  Everyone left me alone for once! 

Chapter 6: Blind Heart 

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Harry looked down at his feet, out the window and at his hands as the uncomfortable silence grew.  _Say something you idiot_! He told himself. 

"How—," he began.

"You—," Ginny began at the same time.  She flushed.

"You first," Harry said just as Ginny said:  "You first."

They both laughed, the air cleared.

"Ladies first," Harry said, and Ginny's smile made him feel an odd, and not unpleasant tickle in his stomach.  He liked Ginny's smile, and he liked when she laughed.  She had a genuine laugh that lit up her face, a real laugh, not an annoying giggle that made Harry feel like his fly was unzipped or had a boogey hanging out of his nose.  He was so used to seeing her as his best friend's baby sister that he hadn't noticed these things before.  

"Madam Pomfrey said I could go when I finished breakfast," Ginny said.  "Could you… I mean, would you… uh… mind hanging around a minute while I dress?  I heard I really missed a good fight.  Hermione said you would tell me.  I really wished I'd been there."

"Yeah… me, too," Harry lied.  If she's been there, she would have heard Malfoy said the B & G words, Boyfriend Girlfriend.  "I'll wait."  He moved away from the bed while Ginny pulled the curtain around to get dressed.  He wondered how much he should tell her.  Nah, he didn't have to tell her everything.  Probably no one else heard that comment or even took note of it.  And whoever heard it would think that Malfoy was just giving him a hard time as usual.

Ginny pulled aside the curtain a few moments later and walked out of the hospital wing beside Harry.  He realized he'd never walked with Ginny; her head was barely at his shoulder, but she was tough and watching her play Quidditch was just poetic.  There were a few students in the hallway.  Since it was Sunday, no one had classes.  They were heading toward Sirius's classroom and Harry hoped his godfather would be there; he wanted to talk to Sirius for a moment.

Then Harry began to notice a curious thing, and at the same time he noticed Ginny noticing.  How could she _not _notice that everyone they passed either stared at them all bug-eyed, or smirked and snickered?  Some of the girls giggled and whispered to each other.  Ginny's eyebrows lowered to a puzzled frown.

"Harry," she began.  "Is everyone mental today?  Why are we being stared at?  Did I not button my top right?"  She looked down and began rearranging her blouse, inadvertently emphasizing her chest and exposing a little flesh.  Harry jerked his gaze away, swallowed and then tripped over his robes.

"Are you okay?" Ginny was asking.  She slid one arm over his shoulder the other hand on his arm and helped his straighten up.

"Yeah, I'm fine."  Flustered Harry plowed a hand through his already unruly black hair.  "Should pay more attention to where I'm going."

"Maybe," Ginny replied, she didn't looked convinced.  "Are you coming down with something?"  She laid a cool hand on his forehead.  Over his scar.  Her soft touch made the dull ache instantly disappear.  It felt like heaven and made his knees wobble.  "See, think you are sick.  Maybe we should go back and see Madam Pomfrey?"

"No really, I'm okay."  He took her hand away from his forehead and at that very moment, Violet, a fifth year Gryffindor girl, came running up to them, her face creased with a huge smile as she looked at Ginny's hand in Harry's.  Harry wasn't fond of Violet, she was okay, but in his estimation she loved gossip and giggling more than was healthy.  She'd be pretty if she kept her mouth shut.  Harry had learned to subtly avoid her.  He dropped Ginny's hand and stepped away from her.

"Ohhhhh, just _look_ at you two, all cozy together!"  She clapped her hands.  "You're both so secretive, but you've never fooled me!"  She squealed in delight and hugged Harry and then Ginny.  "This is such exciting news.  I always knew this would happen, I didn't know it'd take so long.  Congratulations!"

Ginny watched Violet walked away, hands clasped together and a gleeful smile as though she'd just saved the world.  Ginny had such a dumbfounded expression that it would have been humorous had the situation not been so dire.  "Barking mad," Ginny said at last sounding a lot like Ron.

Harry let out a sigh of relief.  "Yeah, she's mental alright."

They continued walking but people kept staring and whispering.

"I didn't realize I'd get so much attention from getting hit by a Bludger," Ginny said.  She stared at two passing girls, both Gryffindor, who smiled back, waved and winked. Ginny continued to watch them over her shoulder and they continued to watch Ginny and Harry until they disappeared out of sight down another corridor.  Ginny frowned and shook her head.

"Harry, do you know what is going on?" Ginny asked the question Harry had been dreading..  He wasn't going to lie to her, but neither did he want to discuss a profoundly uncomfortable topic.

"Ah, I… ah, do you mind waiting a moment while I talk to Sirius?"

Ginny then spied Parvati and Lavender walking up the hallway.  "No, go ahead, I want to talk with Parvati."

Now that was a **_BAD_** idea.  **B. A. D.**

"Harry!  Ginny!" Parvati called.  "I just heard!"  Lavender said nothing, just giggled.

For a moment the world seemed to slow down as disaster in the shape of two girls approached.  A train wreck.  A cataclysmic event that must be avoided at all costs.  The world returned to normal and Harry reacted.

"I-think-it's-a-better-idea-that-you-come-in-with-me," Harry said, his words so rushed it was like one long word. 

"But Harry, I—."

Harry grabbed her arm and yanked her into the classroom before she could finish her sentence.  They almost tripped over each other and Harry had to grab Ginny around her waist to keep her from falling down.  Parvati peered around the door into the classroom and saw Harry with his arm about Ginny's waist. 

"Ahhh, that's soooo cute!" she gushed.

Harry pulled his arm away from Ginny like it was on fire.  "Sorry Parvati, private conversation.  Uh… talk later.  Bye."  He pushed her out and shut the door in her face, then leaned against the door, closed his eyes and sighed.  That was a close call.

"Harry!" Ginny said, hands on her hips.  His eyes popped open.  She didn't look happy.  "What are you _doing_?  I spend the night in the hospital wing and when I wake up everyone's gone loony!  Did someone curse the entire castle population?"

"Last time I looked there was no curse and everyone was quite sane," came Sirius's voice, thick with suppressed humor.  "Having a bit of a hectic morning, Harry?"  Humor sparkled in his dark eyes.  

"Yes!  No!  I mean, no!"  

"Are you sure?"  Sirius chuckled.  "Decisive today, aren't we?"

Harry looked from Ginny's annoyed expression to Sirius's amused expression.  "Well, alright then," he said before Sirius, who seemed to understand the situation, could get in another word.  "Here Ginny," he took her arm and forcefully sat her in one of the desks.  "Stay there.  Right there," he held out one hand and gestured toward the wall, "and I'll get you a great book to read while I talk to Sirius."  He ran over to the bookshelf in the classroom and grabbed a book, hurried back and placed it in front of here.  "Here you go Ginny.  Great book.  Wonderful reading.  Recommended!"

Ginny frowned at Harry then looked at the book.  "Harry, this book is called 'The Subtle Art of Detecting the Dark Arts'"

"Yeah, great really, Ginny.  You never know when you're going to run into a bad type."

"Yeah, I wonder."  She tapped her chin and eyed Harry, then with a shrug opened it and began reading.  Harry went up to where Sirius sat at his desk reading over some class papers.

"Unless you plan to cast a Stupifying spell on poor Ginny Weasley, or cast a Silencing Charm over half the school, you're going to have to face up to your problem."

Harry leaned close.  "What exactly did you hear?"

Sirius lifted both eyebrows.  "Only that you and Ginny Weasley are boyfriend and girlfriend.  Everyone seems to know.  I find it quite charming."  He smiled.  "I wondered when you'd get a girlfriend, you're what? Sixteen?  It's about time I'd say."

"You're not helping!"

"What do you want me to do?"  Sirius laid down the parchment of homework he'd been reading and looked at Harry like a stern, exasperated parent.  "If you like the girl, what is the problem?"  

"I don't.  I do.  I mean.  I don't know if I do or don't."

"Quite articulate as well as decisive I see," Sirius said.  Harry flushed, then Sirius glanced over Harry's shoulder at Ginny who was not reading the book and instead frowning toward them, her arms crossed.  "She's fancied you for years and she's really quite lovely."

"Ginny?  Lovely?"  Harry looked over his shoulder.  Now that Sirius mentioned it, Ginny really was quite a pretty girl.  She didn't have as many freckles as her older brothers; her skin was fair and looked soft.  Her hair was subdued shade of auburn, and very shiny.  And she had that nice smile and the pleasant laugh.  She was a great Quidditch player.  And her figure… Harry flushed thinking about it.  When he thought about it, there wasn't anything that was bad about Ginny.

"Yeah.  I see what you mean—."  He stared and Sirius cleared his throat and arched one eyebrow.

"Tell me what you want, Harry, because if it's about your love life, or lack thereof, we can talk later.  I have papers to grade."

Love life!  Harry cringed, but Ginny hadn't heard that remark.  "Well, I…" he wanted to tell Sirius how his scar had been bothering him, but maybe it wasn't important especially in light of these new and embarrassing events.  He rubbed it and when he realized what he was doing, he jerked his hand away.  "It's nothing that can't wait."

Sirius had noted already noted the telltale gesture.  "If there is something important you need me to know—."

"No.  I'm… I'm fine."

"Very well.  If anything comes up, especially about the scar, you'll let me know."  He took up a sheet of parchment.  "And by the way, you should probably know that Ginny just left the room."

"What!"  Horrified, Harry whirled around and had to brace himself against the desk to keep from falling; he felt like someone had cast a Jelly-legs jinx on him.  The desk Ginny had been sitting at was empty and the door was just closing and just before it closed all the way he could hear Parvati's voice.

"Ginny, this is wonderful about you and Harry.  How did you manage to hid it from everyone?"

The door closed with a thud.  The thud of a lid on a casket.  Harry found his feet wouldn't move and even breathing was difficult.  A sweat broke out on his forehead.

Sirius exhaled an aggravated sigh.  "You're being ridiculous and you can't stay in here forever.  Eventually you'll have to go out." 

Harry rounded on Sirius and braced his hands on the desk, hair falling in disarray over his forehead.  "Can you transfigure me?  Turn me into something like a bird, even better a bug so I can slip under the door?"  

Sirius's lips tightened into an unsympathetic line and tapped one finger on the parchment he'd been trying to read for the last few minutes.  "Harry Potter, you've faced down the most vile wizard that our world has ever known, and you did it without a blink, and this girl has turned you into a spineless ninny."  

Harry watched the tapping finger for a moment then straightened up, took a deep breath and faced the door.  "Well, you're right of course.  It _can't_ be any worse than facing Voldemort, can it?  I'll just walk right out there are tell her that this is all another Slytherin prank in poor taste."

Sirius's mocking chortle followed Harry as he walked toward the door like a doomed man on a death march to the gallows.


	7. Truth and Dare

**Chapter 7**: Truth and Dare

**A/N**:  Here at long last is Chapter 7.  I didn't mean this to take so long, but I just couldn't get it right, so I put it aside for a while and finally it hit me what was missing.  Trust me, this is a lot better than the first draft.  Thanks to EVERYONE who is reading this and letting me know.  It really keeps me motivated to finish this story, which is going to be longer than I originally intended.

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Later that morning, Hermione still had Ron following her around, eager to do anything for her after that kiss; he had even agreed to study with her in the library.  Her relationship with Ron was… unusual to say the least.  They knew they were together, although they hadn't made a verbal commitment, and the rest of the school knew they were together.  Yet they'd never dated, not formally, not 'Hermione will go out with me' kind of date.  Yet they were always together; she couldn't imagine not being with him and she knew, even though he'd never said it, that he felt the same way.  It was just like they were meant to be and no silly words were needed.  Soul mates her mother had told her, and Hermione knew that was it.  Ron's family seemed to know that they were meant to be with one another.  Truth be told, she was a bit nervous about Ron's family at first when it was clear her relationship with Ron had gone beyond 'just friends'.  The Weasleys were a pureblood wizard family and she was… a mudblood.  They hadn't said anything and seemed genuinely pleased to see her during the summer holidays.

She was pondering her relationship with Ron, her hand in his as they walked down the hall toward the library, when they were waylaid by a group of Slytherin students.  At the head of the snake, as usual, was Malfoy.  Hermione knew this wasn't going to be a pleasant exchange of words, however, the first words out of Malfoy's mouth surprised even her, and she felt her face heat.

"So what does big brother think about Harry Potter shagging his precious little sister," Malfoy said with malicious glee. 

"That's ridiculous," she said immediately.  "Come on, Ron."  Ron didn't budge.

"What are you babbling about?" Ron said, eyes narrowed, suspicious.  Hermione inwardly moaned.

"Wouldn't you know he'd be the last to hear, typical Weasley.  Dimmer than the dungeons."  Malfoy cupped a hand to his ear.  "Listen.  Doesn't this sound familiar, maybe coming from your sister's room at night?"  He nudged Crabbe with his elbow.

"Ohhh Harry!" Crabbe moaned in a falsetto voice.  "Ohhhhh Harry."  

Malfoy made pumping motions with his hips and the small Slytherin crowd around Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle laughed.

"You bastard!"  Understanding dawned over Ron's face.  "Shut your dirty gob!"

Hermione had never seen Ron this angry; his face was so red and hot that he looked ready to burst.  He growled like an angry badger, pulled his wand leapt at Crabbe.  Hermione stepped in front of Ron, in front of the tip of his wand and hid her own anger for Ron's sake.  

"That's a dirty lie.  Take it back, Malfoy!" Ron shouted, trying to raise his wand over Hermione who kept getting in the way.

"Ohhh Harry," Crabbe moaned again.

Hermione pushed Ron's wand tip down.  She was a Prefect, and couldn't be seen fighting although this was the first time since she slapped Malfoy those few years ago that she felt like doing it again, and harder this time.

"Ignore him.  Don't fight him," she whispered to Ron.  He was crazed with anger and wouldn't look at her.  She held his face between her thumb and fingers and made him look down at her.  "He's saying this to get a rise out of you and it's working.  _He's_ winning.  You know Harry wouldn't be… uh… Ginny wouldn't… well you know."

"No, I don't know," Ron growled.

"Well you should trust your best friend and your sister more than that!"

Hermione heaved an internal sigh of relief when Ron relaxed and with a violent shrug threw off the hands that held him.  "Yeah, you're right, Hermione.  I should know better not to believe anything this tosser says."

The students parted as Professor McGonagall walked through.  "Is there a problem?" she asked, one eyebrow lifted high.  She looked at Ron's still angry face and then Malfoy's sullen expression.  Even Malfoy wouldn't challenge a professor.  "You wouldn't be thinking about fighting again, Mr. Malfoy?  Mr. Weasley?  Wouldn't you say you're in enough trouble?"

"Uh, yes Professor McGonagall," Malfoy finally muttered under her penetrating stare.  "We were just talking."

"Very good then.  Miss Granger, I would like your assistance with some first year homework papers if you please.  And Mr. Weasley, you could help."

_So much for studying_, Hermione thought, but nodded to the professor request.  They followed the professor down the hall, but when she turned and looked back over her shoulder, Malfoy began with the hip pumping motions again.  Ron's face set into an angry scrunchy look and he grumbled under his breath.  Hermione only hoped Professor McGonagall couldn't hear.

*          *          *          *

"…And the doors to the dining hall swung open and Harry appears," Parvati was saying.  She fanned her face with one hand.  "Ohh, you should have seen him!  He stalked in like an avenging demon."

Ginny couldn't speak.  This was much more than anything she could have imagined.

Lavender shivered dramatically.  "It was terrible," she said

"One look at his face and all those old rumors about Harry being the heir of Slytherin and a dark wizard and all that just came back to most of us.  At least to me.  Gave me a fright!  I choked on my meat pie," Parvati said.  "Of course at first, none of us knew what he was about, so I thought he was going to curse us all until he went to the Slytherin table.  At that point I actually felt a little sorry for Malfoy."

"Having known Harry for so long, it's hard to imagine him fighting You-Know-Who, but after last night, it's not hard to imagine.  Not any more" Lavender said in a conspiratorial whisper.  "We all know he's been taking those secret advance DADA with Professor Black all this year, I don't know about you, but I wonder what they do."

Ginny did too.  Harry never talked about it though and no one had the nerve to ask.  Especially seeing him after some of the lessons, he looked shaken and sometimes scared.  Even Ron wouldn't broach the subject of what went on in those lessons.

"Loud and clear I heard Malfoy asked Harry how his girlfriend was doing--that's you--and Harry told them to leave you alone," Lavender continued.

"It was more than that," Parvati corrected, looking irritated that her story was interrupted.  "He threaten to break both of Malfoy's arms if he even came near you."

"Harry said that!" Ginny squeaked, big-eyed.

"And then Malfoy called you a slag--," Lavender said before Parvati interrupted.

Ginny's mouth fell open. 

"—It was that point Harry went nutters," Parvati continued.  "I thought he was going to kill the lot of Slytherins.  Ron, of course, was in the thick of it, but that's not surprising knowing your brother."

Ginny wasn't surprised either, Ron was always one to eschew his wand if his fists got the job done.

"One thing led to another and before anyone could guess, food started flying," Lavender said.  "Just about everyone was involved at that point."

"I got a bowl of mash in my hair," Parvati said and held up one of her dark locks.  "It took me forever to wash it out."

"I heard Sirius gave Harry and Ron detention."  Lavender sniffed.  "It's not like they don't deserve it.  The dining hall was a mess."

"A total brawl," Parvati said like she disapproved, yet a sparkle of delight lit her dark eyes.  "I'm certain it will go down in Hogwart's History."

Ginny couldn't speak; she didn't know what to say!  Why hadn't Harry told her this?  Voldemort no longer had anything to fear from Harry Potter because she was going to kill him—strangle him with her bare hands.  Transform him into a bug, a lowly stinkbug, and squish him under her feet.  Parvati finally snapped her mouth shut and harrumphed loudly.

"Really, Ginny!" Parvati said and planted a hand on her hip.  "Harry hasn't told you all this yet?"

"Ah, well, he hasn't had a chance to an uh… say anything."

"Harry was so infuriated that you were hurt, he accused Crabbe and Goyle of sending that Bludger after you on purpose.  Why would they do that?"

Ginny knew but she wasn't telling.  She _couldn't_ tell.

"I don't know why you and Harry have been so secretive about your relationship.  You know, I saw all this happening the other day when Lavender and I were in Divination.  I did a card reading while thinking of Harry."  Parvati stopped at this and cleared her throat as if she'd said too much.  "And well… it said Harry has a secret, and linked with other cards, well, I knew this secret was female."  She looked pleased with herself.  Ginny kept her mouth shut.  Like Hermione, she found Divination silly.

It was then the door to Sirius's classroom opened and Harry walked out, apprehension in every line of his body.  Ginny didn't know whether to hug him or kick him in the ass; truth was she wanted to do both.  Instead an uncharacteristic daring welled up inside Ginny.  Time to teach Mr. oh-so-famous Harry Potter a lesson.

"There you are," she cooed sweetly.  She walked up to him and linked her arm with him.  That Parvati and Lavender were observing with such interest bolstered her courage.  Harry looked too thunderstruck to say anything.  "Parvati was just telling me how you defended me last night.  That's so sweet of you." 

Ginny wrapped a hand around his neck, her fingers brushing his dark hair at the nape of his neck and pulled his face down to hers.


End file.
